Tokio Marine Kiln - Case study

Tokio Marine Kiln - Case study

Using Theatre / Short Sessions for Management Development

A highly successful firm of underwriters decided that although all their managers are highly skilled and talented in the technical areas of their business, many of them felt that they needed help with team management, and in management development. The managers could only be released for two hours at a time and the client wanted a great deal covered. They identified many issues including Grievance and Disciplinary, Handling Difficult People, Succession Planning, Appraisals Training and Interviewing Skills.

MaST together with MaST Theatre & Film designed a four session programme, each run six times for up to 12 managers at a time. Based on a realistic ‘soap series’ format, scripts were written which brought up all the issues. Interspersed with skills and knowledge sessions, the delegates coached the characters to better handle difficulties that had arisen. At the end of each session the thoughts and learning were related to the managers’ actual environment. Facilitated Appraisals Training has been added to our portfolio at Tokio Marine Kiln and we are running two management development programmes side by side – one for newly employed managers and the other for managers who have been newly promoted from within the business. Here again we use actors in scripted interventions and in real-play scenarios after intense research with the client.

The training received the highest scores known within the firm, managers saying they found the sessions truly useful in their daily lives. As a result of requests from the delegates themselves, we are now in our fifth year of training the managers in this way. One intervention lasted for three years and we have recently begun a fresh scenario and storyline. Delegates are always keen to know ‘what happens next’ and willingly attend each session.

For 2015-16 we have added to the portfolio with programmes for Influencing and Assertiveness which are going really well.